Mr. Cormier is a graduate of École des hautes études commerciales (HEC Montréal), where he earned both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA. He also taught finance there for nearly 8 years. He has been with Desjardins since 1992, first as general manager of several caisses within the network and then as Vice-President of Cooperative Network Finance from 2009 to 2012. He joined Desjardins Group’s senior management team in 2012 as Executive Vice-President of the Caisse Network before being appointed Executive Vice-President of the Caisse Network and Personal Services in 2013. He was elected President and CEO of Desjardins Group in 2016. Mr. Cormier also served as chair of Desjardins General Insurance Group from 2016 to 2018 and is currently chair of Desjardins Financial Security.
Since being elected President and CEO, Mr. Cormier has worked hard to instill a strong member- and client-focused corporate culture. He encourages innovation and has fast-tracked the organization’s digital shift. He also set up a $100 million development fund to support local and regional community initiatives.
Under Mr. Cormier‘s direction, Desjardins Group has continued to grow, including through its acquisition of State Farm’s Canadian operations. Desjardins has also forged a new partnership with the provincial credit union centrals and CUMIS to create a new company, Aviso Wealth, which is already one of Canada’s leading wealth managers.
Mr. Cormier is actively involved in a number of community organizations, including the fundraising campaigns of Fondation Forces AVENIR, Le Diamant theatre in Quebec City, Fondation Madeli-Aide and the Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal Foundation. He’s also active in Fondation Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis, the Montreal Heart Institute and Domaine Forget. Mr. Cormier sits on the boards of HEC Montréal, the Conference Board of Canada and Fondation Forces AVENIR.
